Anies's Men Call The Prohibition Of Homecoming To Benefit Jakarta's Economy: You Can Holiday Here

JAKARTA - Head of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency Gumilar Ekalaya said that the central government's ban on Eid homecoming this year has benefited several parties in Jakarta.

"With the homecoming ban, it means that Jakarta is actually more profitable," said Gumilar in a virtual discussion, Monday, April 5.

Gumilar said, in normal times, Jakarta people go home to their hometowns bringing money to the regions. They spend a lot of money on necessities during the month of Ramadan to Eid Al-Fitr with their families.

With the ban on homecoming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gumilar estimates that many people in Jakarta will spend their money in the capital, from traveling to staying at hotels.

"Spending will be done in the area so it can be used for a staycation or vacation around here by utilizing the existing facilities", said Gumilar.

"Maybe we (the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants in DKI) can work on this together. Make a tour package, so that the spending that was going to be brought to the area can be spent around Jakarta", he continued.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) for the DKI Jakarta Region, Sutrisno Iwantono, hopes that with the ban on homecoming, profits in the hotel and restaurant business sector can increase by 20 percent from the current time.

"If people do not homecoming, of course, there will be many who stay in Jakarta. Maybe some of them also enter hotels. We hope the hotel can grow 20 or 30 percent from the previous condition", said Sutrisno.

The government officially bans Eid homecoming this year, just like the previous year. This was decided based on a coordination meeting between several ministries and agencies.

"By the president's direction and the decision of the ministerial coordination meeting, it is determined that in 2021 homecoming will be eliminated", said Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture of Indonesia Muhadjir Effendy.

Muhadjir said the ban on homecoming applies to all ASN, TNI, Police, BUMN employees, private employees, independent workers, and also the entire community.

Then, the ban on homecoming will start from May 6 to May 17, 2021. "On that day and date, people are advised not to carry out movements or activities outside the region, unless it is really urgent and necessary", said Muhadjir.